Infinity Blade 2 arrives, US users can download tonight

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Among iOS games, Infinity Blade is peerless. Its gameplay is addictive, and its graphics are both detailed and vivid enough for it to be mistaken for a PS3 title. So it’s no surprise that we were listening closely when Epic Games announced its sequel, Infinity Blade II. The developer took the stage at Apple’s iPhone 4S event to promise deeper gameplay and upgraded visuals. If you’re one of the many who have spent the last six weeks anxiously anticipating its release, your wait is over: Infinity Blade II launches today.

Technically, the game is scheduled to launch tomorrow, December 1, but it’s already rolling out in some countries. iOS users in the United States can expect to find it in the App Store at around 11PM EST tonight.

Though the developers have never openly acknowledged it, the original Infinity Blade was heavily influenced by the Nintendo classic Punch-Out! The dodge-and-counter gameplay is virtually identical. Both titles present a small set of gameplay environments and reskinned opponents. This gave the developers smaller canvases to paint, which allowed them to dazzle us with enormous, memorably-designed characters. It’s a winning formula, as Infinity Blade is just as much of a landmark on iOS as Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! was on the NES.

Infinity Blade II uses the greater power of the A5 processor to branch out from that simple formula. Whereas the original Infinity Blade only had ten unique locations, the sequel has 40. The RPG elements — hit points, weapons, and spells — are expanded. The sequel also introduces mega-bosses: behemoths with 1,000,000+ hit points that will be collectively combated by online gamers all over the world.

Infinity Blade II will cost $9.99, and require a download of 941MB. It will be a universal app for all iOS devices, but the A5-powered iPhone 4S and iPad 2 will see upgraded visuals.

Anxious US gamers can bide their time by watching Epic’s trailers below: